Amherd's billing with the Federal Council

It may have rumbled at the Federal Council meeting on Wednesday. The appearance of the outgoing Minister of Defense Viola Amherd (center) suggests this in the early afternoon.

The Valaiser made no secret of her anger: on Tuesday, due to an indiscretion The resignation of army chief Thomas Süssli and Christian Dussey, the director of the Federal Intelligence Service (NDB) publicly public.

« To deal with such a way with confidential information, adds great damage to our institutions and makes a serious work on the Bundesrat level, » said Amherd – also to the address of their colleagues in government.

« Not suitable to strengthen trust »

The Defense Department of VBS led by Amherd had shared the two personnel shops on Tuesday morning for the Federal Council meeting of the next day via a confidential platform of the federal administration, to which only a small group of people has access.

Just a good hour later, the NZZ made the two resignations public. « Such events are not suitable to strengthen trust within the Federal Council, » said Amherd before the media.

The Federal Council discussed the indiscretions at its session « long and detailed, » said government spokesman Andrea Arcidiacono. At the beginning of the media conference on behalf of the overall Federal Council, he had « decisively condemned » the indiscretions. They damaged the work of the Federal Council, the will formation and the state interests.

Wagging with the heavy rolls

The announcement of the withdrawal of two top officials once again caused negative headlines for the defense department on Tuesday. Already In the late Monday evening, the financial control had published three extremely critical test reports about the federal armaments group Ruag and the lack of supervision by the VBS.

And so Viola Amherd stepped in front of the federal house media 33 days before she left the Federal Council with a strong headwind. In addition to the departures of Süssli and Dussey, she informed you about the 2025 army.

Amherd also did not save with this agenda – sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious – blame on their Federal Council colleagues and their critics in parliament. Before she came up with the details of the army message, Amherd is no less than 15 heavy and less difficult basic reports and documents on the strategic focus of the national defense on your desk on which the army message is based.

She did this in gestures and facial expressions, which, in addition to fatigue in permanent criticism, also signaled a certain attack. Looking, according to Amherd's signal: The billion -dollar expansion of the army, which the parliament has in principle decided, does not take place without conception and in a vacant space. It is based on a reputable basic work by the VBS, which she has headed for over six years.

With the 2025 army message, the Federal Council requested the parliament to make commitment loans in the amount of around CHF 1.7 billion. Of these, CHF 1.5 billion is intended for investments in armaments procurement. The largest chunk is the loan for a new bike-based artillery system from German production, which is supposed to replace the M-109 tank shaft.

Wink with the fence post on the basement-sutter

The army message is based on the goal decided by the parliament to increase army expenditure to one percent of gross domestic product by 2032. In the current year it increased the payment framework by around CHF 530 million. This allow the army to strengthen defense ability faster, said Amherd.

And came to the criticism itself immediately, she failed to secure sustainable counter -financing for this army expansion in the government college. Amherd rattled a list of around ten proposals for army finance, which the Federal Council recommended for rejection.

At a question, Amherd said that it was neither her intention nor her role « to make a blame here ». She just wanted to explain what had already been discussed and was not successful. And reminded that the security of the population is the “first state task”, which in their opinion should be financed with tax funds.

Amherd was asked whether this was a hidden message to Federal President Karin Keller-Sutter. She described this as a misinterpretation: «I see the finance minister at least once a week. I give her the messages directly, not through a media conference. »

On Wednesday However, the two Federal Councilors, whose relationship is considered tense, did not meet personally. Keller-Sutter is at a G20 meeting in Cape Town.